Chapter 70

"Danjo, we will move your territory from Yamato."

"Yes, if possible, I would prefer a place closer to Kanto."

Oda Nobunaga ordered the exiled Hisahide, who had surrendered, to move from Yamato. This was because Yamato was close to Yamashiro and held an important position in the Kinai region.

Nobunaga thought Hisahide would resist, but instead, he expressed a desire to be transferred to a distant place.

"Even the far north would be fine."

"Would you be alright in such a place?"

Nobunaga was puzzled by Hisahide's intentions, as he was requesting a transfer from the Kinai region, the center of the country, to the rural Kanto or the remote northern regions.

"Actually, I have realized something important."

"What is this important thing?"

"I need to regularly purchase coffee beans from Tsuda. Roasted beans lose their aroma easily, so it's easier to source them from a place closer to Tsuda's territory. I will soon have to start roasting them myself."

"Is that so?"

Nobunaga, surprised by Hisahide's obsession with coffee, decided to grant his request to place Yamato under the Oda family's influence.

"Indeed, the best way to serve coffee is by cold brewing. Just like in the tea ceremony, it's important to serve the best to the guest. I need to improve the cold brewer to fit the tea room..."

In Edo Castle, Hisahide, who had come to greet Kōki, was happily discussing coffee. In the end, the Matsunaga family was transferred to Suruga. Kōki's territory was reduced, but Nobunaga, thinking it was unfair, granted him the province of Kozuke. Ienori, the former lord of Kozuke, was moved to Yamato, allowing the siege of Ishiyama to focus more.

However, Ishiyama still did not fall. Despite the significant sacrifices, the enemy, being a religious organization, did not consider the losses. The supply lines from the Mori navy continued, and the Kuki navy was engaged in a grueling war to block them. To change the situation, Nobunaga was building new ships, but it would take about a year to complete them.

The Tsuda navy, busy with the Ishiyama campaign, was now handling the protection of trade routes, trade with Luzon, Macau, and Ezo, and the transportation of materials for the development of Tsuda's territory.

"If the Matsunaga family rebels again, they will be sandwiched between the Tokugawa and Tsuda families and will be unable to do anything. We also need to deal with the dragon in Echigo."

Kōki, who controlled the entire Kanto region, was most concerned about Uesugi Kenshin. As the Kanto Kanrei, Kenshin could use this as a pretext to move south, which worried Nobunaga.

"I don't think there will be any coordination with the Koga Shogun."

The Koga Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiuji, was killed in Koga Castle. Kōki was reprimanded by Yoshiaki for this, but it was Yoshiuji's fault for rebelling with Uesugi Kagekatsu. When Nobunaga said this, Yoshiaki, who had his own dark side, could not say anything more, and Kōki was not punished.

Yoshiaki immediately sent a new Koga Shogun. However, the few retainers he brought could do nothing. Many of the retainers in Kanto had either been killed in the rebellion or had joined the Tsuda family like Mibuchi Fujihide, and the new Koga Shogun was given only a small amount of money and was effectively under house arrest. The people of Kanto, who had enjoyed peace and prosperity from large-scale development after years of war, supported Kōki and had completely forgotten about the Koga Shogun.

"Kenshin is not in the best health. He must be thinking about what will happen after his death."

Somehow, Hisahide had information on Kenshin's health. In fact, he had recently been scolded by Kiyoko for his poor lifestyle habits.

"Excessive salt intake, excessive alcohol consumption. A classic case of premature death. You also show symptoms of gout."

"What should I do?"

"Abstain from alcohol! Switch to a diet with less salt! If you continue like this, you could die suddenly in a cold bath or toilet! It could happen at any moment."

"That would be a problem..."

"If it's a problem, you need to practice moderation."

To Kōki, Kenshin was a quiet and scary old man, but when scolded by Kiyoko, he would become dejected. Perhaps he thought it was inappropriate to get angry at a woman.

Kōki, who had been scolded by Kiyoko, came up with a title for his situation: "The incarnation of Bishamonten, scolded for poor lifestyle habits."

"Kenshin... hahaha!"

"Seiki, you can't talk about others."

Kōki knew that just before his marriage, Seiki had stayed in his room on weekends, eating only junk food, and had been scolded by Kiyoko for his poor lifestyle habits, just like Kenshin, and had taken time to correct them.

"Do you think that having a poor lifestyle, like an unsuccessful rock star, is cool?"

"Brother, what's with that strange analogy?"

Seiki frowned at Kōki's odd criticism.

"Here are the recommended meal plans and lifestyle tips. Take care of your health so as not to burden Kagekatsu."

"Understood."

Kenshin, who had received the paper with Kiyoko's advice, carefully took it back to Echigo. The Uesugi family, after completing their campaigns in Sado and Dewa, had started large-scale development of their new territories, similar to the Tsuda family. They were using the abundant gold and silver to purchase food from Kanto and distribute it to the people who participated in the development.

"I will take care of my health as Kiyoko-sama said."

Hisahide, who was already over sixty, was still in excellent health. He practiced his own health methods and had apparently improved them with Kiyoko's advice.

"I won't die anytime soon."

However, Kōki could not imagine Hisahide dying.

At the end of Tensho 5, Kuki Yoshitaka, following Nobunaga's orders, led ten iron-clad large ships into the waters off Ishiyama. The Mori navy, which was defending the area, tried to resist, but their flagship, carrying the commander, was sunk by large cannons and iron guns.

With the command structure disrupted, the Mori navy began to retreat but faced further misfortune.

"But it's strange. This ship is neither wood nor iron..."

Kuki Sukenaga, commanding the Tsuda navy, was puzzled by the carbon fiber reinforced plastic ships provided by Kiyomaro and others at the Tsuda family's inner sanctum in Edo. These ships were sturdy and easy to use.

While wooden ship construction continued, iron ships were also being developed and tested. Various types of military ships were being built for different purposes, and Sukenaga, who had to incorporate the old Kumanonos, Takeda, Hojo, and Satomi navies, was also training new people to expand the navy.

"The expansion of trade and the need for ships to protect it are keeping us busy. The lord said the navy would become the main force in the future, and it seems to be true."

"Yes, for the expansion of our Tsuda navy, we must succeed in this operation."

An old retainer who had left the Kuki family to follow Sukenaga continued the conversation.

"This is more interesting than leading the Oda navy, which is officially busy with coastal defense and trade."

"It's interesting, but it's a bold and reckless plan."

The Tsuda navy, which was officially busy with coastal defense and trade, was secretly entering the Seto Inland Sea from the Bungo Channel and heading towards Ishiyama. The plan was to encircle and destroy the Mori navy.

On the way, the remaining Murakami navy and other Mori navy forces tried to interfere but were sunk or repelled by large cannons, guns, and简易纳帕姆罐.

The简易纳帕姆罐 were made by refining petroleum and placing it in baked clay pots. The raw petroleum was purchased from Shinano, Echigo, and Enshu. The Tokugawa and Uesugi families, who did not know what to do with the oil except as a substitute, sold it cheaply when asked to mine it. The pots contained a jelly-like substance that, when ignited with a flaming arrow, could not be extinguished with water, causing many enemy ships to burn and sink when they attacked the Tsuda navy.

The Tsuda navy's small, fast ships mercilessly burned the ships docked at the harbor, and many of the Seto Inland Sea navy forces who opposed the Tsuda navy suffered heavy casualties.

The Mori navy under the command of Kikkawa, Salba, Kojima, and Nomi, fearing that the Murakami navy under the command of Murakami Takekuni would be encircled, engaged in battle, increasing their own losses.

The Tsuda navy, which had successfully broken through the Seto Inland Sea, discovered the retreating Mori navy near Shodoshima.

"Let not a single ship return alive!"

Following Sukenaga's orders, the Tsuda navy attacked the retreating Mori navy.

"What nonsense! How did you break through the Seto Inland Sea!"

Unaware that the留守部队 had been destroyed, Murakami Takekuni could only manage to have his allies fight individually against the Tsuda navy. The surviving Mori navy ships suffered heavy casualties and damage from the large cannons and guns, and were set on fire and sunk one after another by the简易纳帕姆罐.

"Sukenaga, I thought your encirclement plan was reckless, but it has succeeded!"

The Kuki navy, led by Yoshitaka, joined the attack on the retreating Mori navy, increasing the damage. Murakami Takekuni could barely manage to escape.

"Survival is the priority now! We will regroup and come back, but for now, we must retreat!"

The Mori navy, which had started with over 600 ships, managed to escape with only about 20 small ships. The survivors, few in number, learned that the留守部队 had also suffered heavy losses. The ports and ship repair facilities were burned, making reconstruction difficult.

"Will the leader not return... What will become of the Murakami navy..."

Murakami Takekuni was not among the survivors, and the Mori navy, having lost both men and ships, saw a significant decline in its power. The control of the sea around Ishiyama became difficult, and Ishiyama was finally completely isolated.